Workshops: Case Management

Advocacy and Collaboration Skills in Case Management

ID: 4505

In providing case management services, social workers often confront systematic language barriers between service providers as well as competing agendas and misconceptions among agencies. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn the components of being an effective case manager as well as a program advocate. Strategies for outreach, developing common agendas, and building relationships for enhanced interagency cooperation and collaboration will also be explored. This workshop does not qualify for NBCC clock hours.

Building the Helping Relationship

ID: 4504

The purpose of this workshop is to explore how several microcounseling skills, including open invitations, open questions, reflections, and information giving, can be used by case managers to build strong helping relationships with clients. Videotapes of effective skills will be shown and handouts containing an overview of microcounseling skills will be provided. Participants will practice and critique their skills through interactive exercises.

Community Organizing and Ethics

ID: 1316

This workshop will focus primarily on community organizing and will help prepare participants to be effective leaders in advocating for their clients and social justice. This workshop will examine the history of community organizing in the United States, as well as the different theories and approaches to effective grassroots organizing. Particular attention will be given to applying professional ethics in all community organizing activities. Participants will leave the workshop with a clearer understanding of how they can apply these approaches and theories to their everyday practice. This workshop does not qualify for NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors) clock hours in ethics.

Handling Crises in Case Management

ID: 4503

Crisis intervention and crisis management are skills necessary to case managers. In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify an authentic crisis and assist clients in crisis. The elements of a crisis will be discussed and techniques for communicating with someone in crisis will be practiced. The relationship between individual values and capacity to intervene effectively in a crisis will be explored.

If it isn't in Writing, it Didn't Happen: Documentation to Protect Your Client, Yourself, and Your Organization

ID: 4113

Documentation is vital part of the professional's responsibility; however, it is often given insufficient attention. Writing progress notes, reports & letters requires the human service professional to consider many factors including the purpose of the communication, the recipient of the communication & the goal(s) of the writer. This workshop will focus best practices in professional documentation for social workers and other professionals with topics including, but not limited to: how to memorialize your assessment, prognosis & action plan in your documentation; how to appropriately convey these issues in communications to others; when to draft reports narrowly versus broadly; how to advocate & persuade on your client's behalf; how to convey objectivity; ethical & legal issues in documentation.
*This workshop does not qualify for NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors) clock hours in ethics.

Improving Networking Skills and Enhancing Interagency Relationships

ID: 4502

This workshop will address the fundamental need of front-line workers to communicate more successfully, build effective coalitions and enhance their networking potential. Participants will learn strategies to break down communication barriers that interfere with constructive interagency relationships and practice skills needed to work effectively with different types of agencies. The value of dialogue over discussion will be addressed as well as techniques to find common ground. This workshop does not qualify for NBCC clock hours.

Older Adults, Disasters and the Service Providing Agency

ID: 1118

Older adults are disproportionately impacted by disasters in terms of their psychosocial and economic losses, injuries, and even death. Service-providing agencies will be called on for an increase in their usual services, and additional assistance related to the disaster. This workshop will help agencies who serve older adults to work through various types of adverse conditions, and increase their capacity help older adult clients navigate through the disaster's impact. Participants will learn emergency management and disaster basics with emphasis on impact to older adults, how to bolster their disaster resilience, how to organize the agency to respond to the event through continuity of operations (COOP) planning, conditions when a COOP might be implemented, and the steps needed to develop a COOP plan. This workshop is offered in collaboration with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.

Practical Case Management with Older Adults

ID: 1004

Case Management practice is based on two important principles. The first involves respect and support for independence. The second involves the principle of using the least restrictive alternative in helping clients with lifestyle changes. You will learn practical skills such as: 1) making realistic plans with the client; 2) determining the frequency and nature of client contacts needed to implement the case plan; 3) using existing support systems; 4) addressing cultural and ethnic factors; 5) ongoing assessment; 6) networking effectively with other agencies; 7) clarifying respective roles; and 8) scheduling case management time and case recording.